Sean Payton impressed with Miami Dolphins 3-0 start

Coach Payton met with media after Thursday's practice

Opening Statement: “The way we approached this week, today was like a Wednesday for us. We had bonus time for us to meet and go through certain things, but today we handled like we would any ordinary Wednesday, which was primarily our base installation. Tomorrow we’ll (continue to) finish the week like we would on a normal week.”

What do you see from Brent Grimes?

“He is a tremendous athlete and the two things that stand out (are), his ability to elevate and jump. He is explosive and has outstanding hands on the ball. He is a player that I know studies a lot of film and when you watch him now this season you see all the things you saw on a yearly basis twice during the year versus Atlanta. He is a great talented corner and very explosive.”

I can recall a few acrobatic catches he made from Drew Brees as a member of the Falcons. Is Drew looking out for him?

“There are a handful that come to mind, so location in that direction is important. He will line up to our right which is kind of the same spot he did when he was playing with Atlanta.”

How hard is it to fix Miami’s tackling problem?

“I think it is something that we have done certain things in years past. It is always a challenge with the pads (limited padded practices allowed). Typically we go (with) one padded practice at the early part of the week like we did today. There are certain things fundamentally you are preaching, no different than what we are trying to do. I think it becomes a little more challenging toward the end of the season when you are kind of finished (with) your (allotted) padded practices and you hope you are falling back on the fundamentals that you installed in training camp.”

Do you think that the offensive line is working a little better than last year?

“We have put in a lot of hard work. Communication is very important on offense, so as a group I think we are all on the same page. Our goal is to get better every day, stack these practices together and get a foundation set for this season to have a successful year.”

How much has your appreciation for Drew Brees as a quarterback grown now that you are in season?

“I thought considering what we have, I thought we had pretty good protection. I thought when you get the man to man looks that we received the other day, some of the routes take a little longer to develop. I thought the running game in the second half was important, getting over 100 yards. Certainly we appreciate and you see the things that he is able to do from a location standpoint. He is very smart, very disciplined and he understands every snap that the defense is trying to take away. He studies more film each week and prepares each week like it was the first game he was playing. All those things, along with his skillset make you appreciate what you have when you have a quarterback that can manage some of the things that we saw in last week’s game that may have been different than we have seen prior.”

Can you talk about Drew’s athleticism?

“He is a phenomenal athlete. He has a good lower body, so you see him oftentimes adjust in the pocket, not necessarily to run, most often to throw and all of a sudden in the red area we receive a bracket look where everyone kind of disappeared within the framework of the route. He did a good job stepping up and making a good decision. He just makes good decisions oftentimes.”

What are your thoughts on the way Ryan Tannehill has played this season?

“He has been very efficient. When you look at a lot of his numbers, not only in the red zone, but third down, I think the first and foremost important thing is leading the team to wins. I think he has the arm strength. He has the size, athleticism, and you can see on tape how much progress he’s made in the early part of this season. He is a very good talent, a very good athlete, and he’s locating the ball and doing all the things you want your quarterback to do which starts with leading your team and giving them a chance to win each week.”

Have you seen evidence with what Joe Philbin was talking about with their poor tackling?

“I wouldn’t necessarily say that that would have been put down on my notes. I think defensively they are playing very well. They are big. They are physical. They run well at the linebacker position at the back end. It is a really, really talented group. I think the other thing they have done a really good job with is creating turnovers. They are at the top of the league for interceptions. They are plus two like us on turnover margin on the season. Where they are at right now, they have played some good teams, last week obviously Atlanta and prior to that they have had some big wins. This is a real tough challenge for us.”

Are you guys preparing for Cameron Wake one way or another?

“He is an elite pass rusher. Your plan is in place. You are certainly aware of where he would line up, not only in the base but also in the nickel.”

What are your thoughts on Dion Jordan?

“He is explosive, has range and long arms and he did a lot of things at Oregon and you see where he is coming into his own now. That transition from one defense in college to the NFL there is always some learning curve, but you can see the threat, especially his speed and (as) another real good pass rusher. We have to be prepared for either.”